Grant: Operating Grant

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection can cause cancers of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, and oropharynx in women or cancers of the anus, penis, and oropharynx in men. Two prophylactic vaccines have been proven to be highly effective in preventing HPV infection and the genital precancerous lesions caused by it. However, we do not know yet if a previously infected individual, once vaccinated, would be less infective to her or his sexual partner. We plan to conduct a study, called Transmission Reduction And Prevention with HPV vaccination (TRAP-HPV) study. It will include 500 sexually active couples (total of 1000 individuals) in university student health clinics in Montreal (age 18-26 years). It will be a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blinded intervention trial. Study participants will be followed up to 12 months. Behavioural and biological data will be collected at the time of study enrolment, then at months 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 post-enrolment. The results of this trial will be invaluable in informing federal and provincial policies regarding vaccination of women and men.